Riding capsule and the like

ABSTRACT

A semi-spherical plaything for children to ride in. It has a chamber to accommodate one or more persons and the bottom is curved so that it can be rollicked along a reasonably smooth surface. The bottom thereof is adapted to be placed into the saddle portion of a wheeled dolly and thus it can be pushed about by a playmate. A removable top is provided so that the plaything is made to appear like a space capsule.

D United States Patent 1151 3,674,260

Loseke 1 July 4, 1972 54] RIDING CAPSULE AND THE LIKE 1,979,844 11/1934 Rouenville ..272 1 R [72] Inventor: Doris V. Loseke, 85-933 Bayview St., Apt. fi i "DIM/5 114 Waianae Hawaii 96792 A 2,831,685 4/1958 Stewart ....272/33 R [22] Filed: April 23, 1970 2,878,858 3/1959 Winchester ..272/33 A 2,930,430 3/1960 Bloom ..272/33 A UX [211 PP 31,221 2,938,726 5/1960 Hunter 272/32 52 us. c1 ..272/1 R, 272/33 A, 280/71, FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS 280/12 3 985,069 3/1965 Great Britain ..272/33 A 51 Int. (:1 ..A63g 13/00 {58] Field of Search ..272/1, 33, 33 R, 33 A; 9/310; Primary Examiner-Leo Friaglia [57] ABSTRACT [56] References (med A semi-spherical plaything for children to ride in. [t has a UNITED STATES PATENTS chamber to accommodate one or more persons and the bottom is curved so that it can be rollieked along a reasonably 3,477,713 11/1969 Cudmore ..272/33 Smooth surface The bottom th f is adapted to be placed 2,471,523 5/1949 Klmg "272/1 R into the saddle portion of a wheeled dolly and thus it can be 3,460,328 1969 cuflee pushed about by a playmate. A removable top is provided so 2,838,022 6/1958 that the plaything is made to appear like a space capsule. 3,000,022 9/1961 Cathey ..9/310 2,716,439 8/1955 Feist ..280/7.1 1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUL 4 m2 INVENTOR DOR l5 V. Los

ATTORNEY RIDING CAPSULE AND THE LIKE This invention is for a riding device provided with a chamber within which children may safely sit as the device rollicks about a floor and the like. However, a wheeled dolly means is provided to accommodate the device so that it can be pushed about by a playmate in various directions. A cover is provided so that a rider can feel that he is riding in a space capsule.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to present a riding plaything adapted to accommodate one or more persons therein and which plaything can be rolled and readily shifted along a floor surface.

Other objects will become apparent as the description is perused and the drawings carefully inspected.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a riding capsule or the like;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the riding capsule showing parts thereof in sectional view;

FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of a detail showing a hand rail element fixed to braces which are to be secured to the capsule;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a bottom portion of the capsule showing a hand-grab post.

The invention, as illustrated, shows a roly-poly container or base 1 which is the principal part of a capsule-like car designed to amuse children. The bottom thereof is curved and substantially semi-spherical so that a child sitting therein can manipulate the car along a floor in a rollicking manner by shifting his or her body within the base. The top edges of the base are turned or flared outwardly to form a rim 2. Note, that this rim has a gentle curve so as to comfortably accommodate the neck portion of a rider. The underside of this rirn has cemented or bolted thereto a plurality of spaced apart braces 3 which extend from a hand rail and bumper combination 4. This hand rail encircles the top portion of the base and the braces 3 are preferably integral therewith. This hand rail may be rubber tubing or solid rubber as shown. The rail is used for pushing and pulling the base and also serves as a bumper in case it brushes against a wall or the building or a piece of furniture.

In the central portion of the base or car 1 and extending upwardly therefrom is a post 5 having an integral plate or base 6 that is cemented or bolted to the car base 1. The top of this post is provided with a soft ball 7 so that children will not be hurt should they hit same in a downward direction. This post is something for the rider or riders to hold onto when the car is rocking and rolling along the floor. A dolly 8 is included and has a rim 9 provided to support the base or car 1. It has a saddle-like opening 10 and is high enough above the floor to prevent the very bottom of the car from dragging along the floor. A plurality of swivel type wheels or casters 11 are fixed to the bottom of the rim 9 so that the dolly can be easily shifted along the floor 12 in various directions according to the will of the pusher.

A cover means 13 is provided and has the rim 13' which is configurated to match the curvature of the rim 2 of the car 1. An opening 14 is shown which serves to allow ventilation into the chamber 15 and also serves as a means by which the cover or lid 13 can be removed from and placed onto the car 1. Around the opening 14 there is a plurality of small holes which not only provide additional ventilation, but which also simulate stars when the chamber 15 is dark. To make the chamber 15 more pleasant to children, the ball 7 may be hollow and filled with a liquid having a pine scent, or this ball may be hard packed cotton and saturated with a perfume. It is preferred, however, that this ball be made of rubber.

The car 1 and the cover 13 would be made of a suitable plastic material and this may be an acrylic or other resin, or molding materials which are derivatives of methacrylic acid. The car 1 and the cover may be opaque, translucent or transparent. It is preferable to make the car of opaque coloring and the top or cover 13 of transparent coloring. By having the car in a dark color and the cover in a light color the simulation of a same capsule would be enhanced.

ertain novel features and details of this invention are disclosed herein, and in some cases in some detail, and this is in order to make the invention clear in at least one form thereof. However, it is to be clearly understood that the invention as disclosed is not necessarily limited to the exact form and details disclosed since it is apparent that various modification and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described and claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed and believed new and which is desired to be secured in Letters Patent is:

l. A plaything comprising a car with a chamber therein sized to accommodate one or more persons, said car having an open top bottom portion with a curved configuration so that the car can be easily rocked, spun and made to wobble along a floor surface by a person therein by shifting his body, said bottom portion consisting of a single sheet of material with its upper portion flared to accommodate and rest a persons neck, the flared portion having about its edges and integral therewith a hoop-like ring which serves as a handle means, an upright post centered in the bottom portion having its bottom end fixed securely to the lowest portion of the bottom portion and the top of the post having a spherical knob about which one or more persons sit and wherein the post serves as a holding means, a removable cover means which fits onto the flared portion of the bottom portion and the bottom portion of which cover means has curved inwardly directed edges which neatly fit onto the flared portion of the bottom portion.

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1. A plaything comprising a car with a chamber therein sized to accommodate one or more persons, said car having an open top bottom portion with a curved configuration so that the car can be easily rocked, spun and made to wobble along a floor surface by a person therein by shifting his body, said bottom portion consisting of a single sheet of material with its upper portion flared to accommodate and rest a person''s neck, the flared portion having about its edges and integral therewith a hoop-like ring which serves as a handle means, an upright post centered in the bottom portion having its bottom end fixed securely to the lowest portion of the bottom portion and the top of the post having a spherical knob about which one or more persons sit and wherein the post serves as a holding means, a removable cover means which fits onto the flared portion of the bottom portion and the bottom portion of which cover means has curved inwardly directed edges which neatly fit onto the flared portion of the bottom portion. 